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Women's History Month

How One Woman Excelled in Athletics, Journalism, Venture Capital—and Aviation

Aviation executive Bonny Simi describes her fascinating journey as an airline pilot, Olympic athlete, TV reporter, venture capitalist, and executive at Joby Aviation.

Thom Patterson
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Key Takeaways:

  • Bonny Simi has forged a remarkably diverse and successful career across four different industries: athletics (Olympian), TV journalism, venture capital, and aviation, consistently breaking barriers and proving herself in male-dominated fields.
  • Her passion for aviation, sparked in childhood and nurtured by pivotal mentors, drives her current mission to make pilot careers more accessible, especially for women and underserved communities, by addressing financial and structural barriers.
  • As an executive at Joby Aviation, Simi is focused on developing eVTOL air taxis and establishing a flight school to create a clear, accessible, and inclusive pathway for future pilots, promising improved work-life balance compared to traditional airline roles.
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Editor’s Note: This article is part of a month-long series to mark Women’s History Month: March 1: Pioneers of Women’s Aviation | March 2: Carole Hopson | March 4: Martha King | March 8: Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance | March 11: The Air Race Classic | March 15: Sisters of the Skies | March 18: Women in Aviation Conference | March 22: Bonny Simi of Joby Aviation | March 29: The first Graduating Class of Air Force Female Pilots | March 31: Top Female Difference Makers in Aviation

At first, the career path of Joby Aviation executive Bonny Simi may be hard to wrap your head around.

Thom Patterson

Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.

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